The Princess and the Golden Jewel
by DancingStar01
Summary: Connor and Lindsay could have met differently in 1623... Pairing: C/L, J/S; Chapter 2 and 3 aired!
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Princess and the Golden Jewel  
>Author: DancingStar<br>Crossover: PSI Factor / Sue Thomas FB Eye  
>Pairing: Connor  Lindsay, Jack / Sue  
>Rating: 12<br>Category: AU, Romance  
>Spoiler: The Princess<br>Summaries: Lindsay and Connor could have met differently in 1623….  
>Comments: Oh, I love those medieval romances! Therefore, I had to write another one. I´m sorry!<br>What many don´t know: Callenburgh Castle does really exist: It´s Callenberg Castle in Coburg, which is about 60 kilometers away from where I live. And one more info: Northern Ireland was separated from Ireland in 1921, so in this story it makes perfect sense to travel from Belfast to Dublin...

**The Princess and the Golden Jewel **

"Mother, I don´t even know him," Princess Lindsay talked to her mother since days, hoping she could escape the visit of the Prince of Ireland.  
>"Don´t worry, my child," Queen Anna Maria folded up a blanket, "The Prince of Ireland is a good man, he has a strong character, just right for a future king and he will treat you well... I heard the girls at the court talking about how handsome he is."<br>"Mother," Lindsay said, "This doesn´t help me... I want to marry someone I love and who loves me... Just like you and father."  
>"Your grandfather chose me as wife for your father", Anna Maria told, "Love came later, after we got married."<br>"But... I can´t live in Ireland!", Lindsay knew that the argument she didn´t speak the language, wasn´t counting: She has been taught in Irish language since she was six years old and because her younger sister, Princess Susan, also wanted to learn this the two sisters shared the lessons.  
>"I can´t live in Ireland!", Lindsay repeated, "I would miss you, father and Sue very much."<br>"Of course we understand," Anna Maria said, "But it´s never easy, my child. I also missed my family very much, when I came from Portugal to Ireland without them, but soon you won´t have time to miss us… You can´t change the facts. The Prince is probably already on his way. Your father can´t send him back home if he arrives."  
>"IF he arrives," Lindsay was hoping her fiancé wouldn´t find the way to Edinburgh, and at that moment she heard a horse whining outside. She hurried to the window to see who had come and a horrified scream escaped her when she saw a flock of dark riders.<br>"What happened?" Sue wanted to know, who now entered her mothers´ room, too. Together with Anna Maria Sue ran to the window.  
>"These are the Riders of Ayr," the Queen said.<br>"Mother, what's going on here?", Sue asked.  
>"The Riders of Ayr?" Lindsay repeated in panic, "Who are these people? What do they want?"<br>"Leave, my daughters," Anna Maria whispered, went to a drawer above the fireplace and handed Lindsay a small, but heavy bag, "Hurry and bring the Golden Jewel to Dublin. King Andrew will get the message... Don´t tell anybody you are princesses then you can arrive save in Dublin."  
>"But Mother, we can´ t leave you alone," Sue cried.<br>"Which message are you talking about?", Lindsay wanted to know. The dark riders caused a lot of noise the courtyard.  
>Anna Maria gave her youngest daughter another leather bag. "This is money from the treasury," she whispered, "Ride as fast as you can to the port of Glasgow and take a ferry to Belfast. Pay the ferryman with the money and then ride to Callenburgh Castle immediately. Please, do what I tell you."<br>Sue nodded and pulled Lindsay as fast as she could into a secret passage. They slipped down a dark staircase to the chamber of some maids. There, they exchanged their beautiful dresses for the maids clothes and put the dresses in bags. Then they crept to the horses. The equerry had prepared two horses for two people and before he could complain, they took the horses and rode silently away from Edinburgh Castle. The horses galloped till the castle was out of sight, but Lindsay could still hear the terrible battle, then they allowed the animals a slower pace. For reaching Glasgow they would be out for three hours and when they had arrived in Belfast, it was still a long way to Dublin.  
>In Glasgow they took, like Anna Maria had told them, a ferry which first had to pass a river and then they drove over stormy seas to Ireland. The trip to Belfast took almost three hours and the two sisters then got rid of a nice sum of money. At the port of Belfast they asked a poor washer-woman for the direction to Dublin and the old woman pointed to the south. As thanks for her help Sue paid the woman with a silver coin from her leather bag and so the two left the city and soon rode through a deserted forest.<br>Both were traveling for hours when it began to dawn. The forest became darker and darker. "How much time will we need?", Sue asked, but Lindsay didn´t answer. Her sister wouldn´t understand what she was saying, because Sue couldn´t hear. She was only able to see what Lindsay was talking about. Her mother had taught her how to read lips. Sues deafness was a secret of the family and there were only a few who knew the truth. 24 years ago Queen Anna Maria was crying a lot when the doctor announced his diagnosis. But it didn´t change the fact that she loved Sue as much as Lindsay.  
>The horses walked next to each other and now a cold drizzling rain pelted down on them.<br>"It's pretty cold," Sue's voice trembled and she saw Lindsay nodding.  
>"Let´s see if there´s a guest house or some other place where we can rest," Lindsay muttered. At that moment the branches and bushes along the road were moving and armed men emerged from their hiding places. The horses shied and walked back several steps.<br>"Whither art thou bent, lovely ladies?", a man asked, holding a sword directed at Lindsay's horse.  
>"We are on the way to Dublin," Lindsay said and under her cape, she reached for the bag in which the jewel was. She realized they fallen into the hands of a group of robbers.<br>"Well, there is a shortcut to Dublin. It leads right through my forest", the robber laughed with a toothless mouth.  
>"Thanks, but we get along alone," Lindsay´s horse began to run. The animal was whining and rushed away. She was relieved when Sue followed her, but she was happy too early, because apparently the robbers also had riders. "Lindsay!", Sue's voice was almost in panic. Together their horses chased through the woods, when suddenly they met two other riders. The horse tried to brake and on the wet ground they almost skidded and crashed against the other riders. Sue nearly fell off her horse, but one of the foreign riders caught her. "Are you alright?", the man asked.<br>"A group of robbers is haunting us," Lindsay said, and now the two men noticed the robbers. One of them drew his sword and stopped his horse protectively in front of the steeds of the two young women. When the robbers saw him, they kept their horses and disappeared.  
>Sue was surprised. Obviously, one single sword slash by this man was enough beat the robbers.<br>"You shouldn´t ride through the forest at this time by yourself," the man said.  
>"We are on the way to Dublin," said Lindsay, "I'm Pri... Uh, my name is Lindsay", She thought it was better not to tell him she was the Princess of Scotland.<br>"I'm Connor, that's my brother Jack. If you want, we bring you to Dublin."  
>"Thanks, that's very friendly," again she took to the jewel to be sure it was still there in her pocket. Relieved, she climbed into the saddle of her horse and they rode off. Connor and Lindsay rode silently next to each other. Finally, they left the woods and rode across a big meadow, which was almost flooded with moonlight.<br>"You´re don´t live here, hm?"  
>"How do you know?"<br>"Because of your Scottish accent… What are you doing at this time in the woods by yourself?," Connor asked then.  
>"I´m not by myself," Lindsay objected, "My sister is with me."<br>Connor hadn´t noticed another blonde woman but his Brother obviously noticed her: He rode beside her and spoke softly to her. Sue laughed occasionally.  
>"My brother seems to like your sister very much," Connor suggested.<br>"Yes, she has a sweet nature... Sue is deaf", Lindsay said," Except from our father, our mother and me, nobody knows..."  
>"And you just told me..."<br>"Yes," Lindsay nodded, "You won´t tell anyone, right?"  
>"I'll keep this in private. I promise you... So what are you doing out here in the woods at this time?"<br>"My sister and I are on the way to Dublin..."  
>"You already said that," Connor laughed softly.<br>"We are looking for a friend of our father," she wasn´t lying because her father, William King and the Irish King were really good friends, "What are you and your brother doing at that time in the forest?"  
>Connor was amused about the cheeky way in which she tried to sound him out, too. "We're on the road and were actually on the way to the nearest port, but it looks like our plans have just changed," Connor turned around again to see his brother, "I think both won´t mind."<br>"How long will it take until we reach Dublin?"  
>"About one day," Connor said, "There are still about two hundred miles."<br>Lindsay nodded, she understood. "It's pretty dark," she suddenly said. She didn´t want to have the Golden Jewel in the darkness.  
>At the foot of the hill on which they rode, Connor could see the lights of a small village. "Do you prefer staying outside or can you afford a guest house?", he asked.<br>"Mother gave us enough money so we don´t have to stay here", she replied and was relieved when Connor rode to the little guest house.

The horses were fed in the barn and the landlady had brought them a sumptuous meal when Lindsay heard soft music coming from the village square. "What's that?", she asked, trying to look out of the window. "This is the annual village festival," the landlady said, "There´s always plenty of food and dance."  
>"Let´s go," Jack suggested and Sue didn´t even get the opportunity to disagree. Connor and Lindsay were left alone at the table. "My brother is a bit impulsive sometimes," Connor apologized then he added: "If he likes a girl." He immediately realized his faux pas: "That doesn´t mean it´s happening often."<br>"I´m sure it wasn´t meant like this," Lindsay said. It felt uncomfortable to be alone with him. She was almost relieved when he also suggested going to the festival and so they got up and walked together to the dancing people on the village square. Lindsay was surprised to see Sue, who danced with Jack. That's always been the strength of her sister, she thought. Sue was good at not to let people find out she was deaf.  
>"Let's dance, milady," Connor suddenly said and offered her his arm.<br>"Milady?", she repeated and raised her eyebrows.  
>"That was just a saying," Connor replied, "Do you want to dance with me now or won´t you?"<br>"Um... I don´t know. I... ", because she couldn´t decide, Connor grabbed her hand and pulled her to the dance floor where they almost danced the whole evening. Connor found this poor girl wasn´t at all like the daughter of a peasant: She danced like a fairy and her beauty took his breath away. He noticed her sweet scent, when she turned to him to close.  
>"Is everything all right?", Lindsay wanted to know, when the music ceased.<br>"It's all right," he agreed, nodding. But nothing was alright. He was on the way to meet his fiancé but instead he had fallen in love with Lindsay head over heels.

Late at night, Lindsay had gone back to her room and because she had the opportunity, she took a warm bath in a wooden tub. Her room was just immersed by a warm fireplace. When she heard the door to her room opening, she wanted to get up but she thought it would be better not to do this, because it was Connor who bothered her at such an inconvenient time. "This is a very bad time for a conversation," she blushed and tried to cover her body, but Connor remained in some distance. "Don´t worry. I can hardly see you", he promised to her," I need to talk to you urgently. It´s very important."  
>"Can´t wait until tomorrow when I´m not...?", she stopped. She regretted her words, because now he came to her and his hands rested on the edges of her wooden bathtub. She sank a little further back into the water when she feared he could see her, how he shouldn´t see her: With no fiber on her body.<br>"It can´t wait until tomorrow, but if you ask me, I won´t say no."  
>"You better don´t come to close. Otherwise you might fall into the water."<br>"If I fall into the water, this would be a very pleasant moment for both of us," he murmured, half kissing her mouth and then he left.

After a sleepless night they met at the guest house for breakfast and then Connor and Lindsay walked through the empty streets of the small village. Many straying dogs were on the road and ate from the trash cans behind the houses.  
>"Not to stay overnight yesterday was very noble of you. I don´t want to think about what would have happened if Sue had seen you coming out of my room, "she said suddenly.<br>Connor nodded when they walked side by side. He would do everything to ensure that they were caught together. He hadn´t told her he was the prince and future king of Ireland and she seemed to have feelings for him. Therefore, he couldn´t marry the Princess of Scotland: he hardly knew her after all and this poor girl had aroused his interest. Connor urgently needed to talk to his father when he was home again: Lindsay was different than all the women he had previously met.  
>Of course last night it was uncomfortable, when he had bothered her while bathing, but she blushed and almost admitted the kiss and this told him she felt something for him.<br>"About what did you want to talk to me yesterday?", she asked and thought about the scene in her room.  
>"I thought I will ask your father for your hand..."<br>"What?", She turned to look at him shocked, "You can´t do this! My father would never accept that... And I´m already espoused to someone."  
>"Opinions change," he said, "I´m a very good match, my love. Your father won´t mind."<br>Lindsay thought feverishly. She couldn´t tell him she was the Princess of Scotland and she was espoused to the Prince of Ireland. "He will mind," she finally said, "My father... Well, he would want someone on my side who wants to keep the bakery in our family," she lied. She was relieved when they reached the guest house again and Jack was coming to them. "We have a problem," Jack began, "Sue's horse is saddle-sore and lame on the right hind leg. I don´t like to say this, but we should let the animal rest for one day."  
>"Alright," Lindsay admitted. She didn´t want to make it worse than it already was, if the horse had to continue walking in this condition, they would have to kill the horse when they arrived in Dublin...<br>Jack went to Sue to get her the news and of course Connor noticed Lindsay's worn face. She thought about her mother and that she had told her they had to arrive in Dublin as soon as possible.  
>"Don´t look like that," Connor finally said, "It won´t hurt our horses, if we take them for a short ride."<p>

Jack found Sue in the parlor of the old farmhouse and she just looked at an old picture, when he was standing in the doorway and cleared his throat. She didn´t respond. "Sue?", he finally asked and she didn´t turn around to him. She sighed and instead wanted to go to a table to sit there when she saw him and was shocked.  
>"Sorry, I didn´t mean to scare you," Jack admitted, "You didn´t hear me when I came in…"<br>"No," Sue frantically shook her head and sat on a chair. Jack noticed how pretty she was, even if she looked so worried. "What´s wrong with you?", he asked, "Is it why you and your sister want to travel to Dublin?"  
>"We deliver an important message to a friend of the family..."<br>"And you know what's in this message?"  
>"No," Sue shook her head but she had seen when her mother gave the bag with the mysterious jewel to her sister. The jewel was the message, but she didn´t know what that meant.<br>"You're not very talkative," Jack observed.  
>"Do you want to know a secret?," Sue asked and wasn´t a bit surprised when he nodded, so she said: "My real name is Susan. My sister is to blame for calling me Sue, "she laughed a little, "Lindsay is one year older than me. When I was born she had learned how to speak and mother told, Lindsay couldn´t pronounce my name correctly and then she called me Sue. Since then, everyone calls me like that."<br>"It's no secret," Jack said, "That's something everyone in your family knows... If you don´t want me to lose interest in you, you should tell me a real secret about you."  
>"What?", Sue got up, "You... You can´t get interested. That's impossible!"<br>"Why do you say that?"  
>"My hair ...", Sue said, "So you like my blond hair? Many people already said the color is a work of the devil…" She thought Lindsay was also blond, but she had never been told she´d look like a cold-hearted Snow Queen.<br>"I think your hair is very pretty," Jack said.  
>"And my nose... my nose is too big and..."<br>"You're perfect."  
>"I... I´m... I'm deaf, "it suddenly burst out of her and he actually stopped, "You´re right. I can´t hear. Father said therefore I am good for nothing. Not even as a wife." She wanted to leave, but Jack held her tight.<br>"I don´t think so," he disagreed, "Obviously you don´t see how beautiful and intelligent you are. How do you know what I'm saying?"  
>"My mother had a different opinion than my father and taught me to read lips. If it was up to my father, I would have to spend my life in some dungeon, I'm sure." Now she was even crying, she thought. She tried to wipe away the tears, so Jack wouldn´t see it. "You're a wonderful girl. Anyone who claims your not, doesn´t deserve being with you."<br>Sue hardly knew what hit her when he kissed her. She was dizzy and she wanted him to push away but she couldn´t. It felt so nice and so sweet that she didn´t have the heart to disappoint him. Because most of all she had disappointed herself.

Lindsay had no idea why she was getting into it to go for a ride with Connor and then he comforted her with the fact that the small lake, to which they wanted to ride, wasn´t far away. A signpost, however, told Lindsay the opposite: "It says there are 4 miles to the lake."  
>"You can read?"<br>"Is there something wrong?"  
>"Not many daughters, whose father earned his living as a baker, can read," he noted and Lindsay felt as if she had betrayed herself. But then she said: "Obviously I'm not the only person who surprisingly enjoyed very much education. You're just a poor man who travels through the woods with his brother and you can read as well."<br>Connor liked her repartee. "Yes, but I´m a man."  
>"Right now you're just terribly conceited," she replied. Connor shook his head in amusement. He liked her more and more and she proved to be a worthy opponent in discussions. She wasn´t only beautiful but also very intelligent, so she would be the perfect wife for him, he thought to himself.<br>For the rest of the way to the lake, they hardly spoke.  
>"There´s even a small cave at the northern tip of the lake," he said when they arrived and tied their horses to trees.<br>"You know this area very well," she remarked.  
>"My brother and I have played here as children. We were very often on the road with our Father... Inside the cave there is even a water pond."<br>"And how did your father earn his living?"  
>"He was a cattle dealer," Connor lied, "We often accompanied him because our mother died after giving birth to my brother." While he was talking, they went up a small hill and then saw the entrance to the cave. Lindsay was amazed when he started climbing into the cave. "You... you won´t..."<br>"I will," he laughed and disappeared in the cave.  
>"You can´t leave me alone!", she called after him and heard a splash. She was unsure what to do next. So she decided to climb into the cave, too. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw a pile of clothes on a stone and again she heard a splash. "The water is wonderfully fresh," Connor said to her, "Come, let´s swim a bit."<br>"No," she thought swimming with a stranger wasn´t a good idea and that´s why she just sat on the edge of the pool, which embellished the ceiling of the cave with magical play of light.  
>"This is a shame," Connor gave in and grabbed for the sharp stone edge of the pool edge, "But if you don´t want to, I also can force you."<br>She screamed when Connor grabbed her and pulled her into the icy water. She emerged from the water shocked and her skin almost hurt because of the relentless cold. With trembling hands she tried to reach the edge of the pool, but she had no idea of where she was. She was still breathing like an old farm horse, when Connor came closer to her. "It wasn´t my intention to scare you," he apologized. Lindsay wondered if he didn´t mind the cold water. Then she realized how he looked at her and she suspected it was because of her white dress, which was now soaked. When she leaned against the hard stone wall of the cave, she realized she couldn´t avoid him. He stared at her eyes and she could feel his warm breath on her face. Connor grabbed after her body, pressed her against the wall and because she didn´t defended he tried to kiss her. She turned her head aside so he could only cover her neck with kisses. But even that was enough to make her gasp out of breath. His hands were wandering and she felt his touch even through the wet fabric of her dress. The cold water was suddenly boiling hot, while she admitted that he lifted her up a bit, so she wrapped her legs around him. "We shouldn´t…," she began and to her rescue she heard the nickering of the horses, "The horses...", she tried to push him away, but he didn´t want to.  
>"Forget the horses...", he murmured hoarsely against her skin.<br>"No, I can´t," but then she managed to push him away and she made her way out of the water. Of course she was embarrassed, that her dress was almost transparent now, but proudly, she left the cave and was relieved she would dry in the sun halfway, until she reached the guest house. She rode back by herself and hurried to get her horse into the stable as unnoticed as possible.

Meanwhile, Jack was gone and Sue noticed, of course, when the door to her room opened and Lindsay came in with soaking wet clothes. "Where have you been?", She asked her sister, "And why are your clothes wet?"  
>"I... Connor and I were on a trip... I fell into a river."<br>"You have to put on dry clothes, immediately," Sue said, gave Lindsay a warm blanket and she noticed how Lindsay was crying.  
>"Is everything fine?", She asked, "Did he hurt you?"<br>"No," Lindsay shook her head and Sue realized her sister currently couldn´t talk to her. So she gave her some time so she could change her clothes, and when Lindsay lay in her bed, she sat down beside her. Lindsay was still crying and upset. "Would you tell me what happened?", Sue gently took her hand.  
>"I can´t marry him," Lindsay said, sobbing, "I don´t even know the Prince of Ireland." She had met the prince once and this time she was five years old. She couldn´t even remember.<br>"Is it because of Connor?"  
>"What?"<br>"You've fallen in love with him. Admit it... Is he the reason why you're in tears?"  
>"I shouldn´t fall in love with him. I should marry the Prince of Ireland."<br>"You can´t reverse it," Sue comforted her, "How did he made it that the stubborn Princess Lindsay is in love?" Lindsay then told what had almost happened in the cave if she had given herself up to him and if her sense of duty hadn´t stopped her. Certainly the Prince of Ireland would never marry her if she spent the nights with other men before their marriage. Sue listened intently to her story and in the end she sighed helplessly. "I can´t help you, dear sister," she apologized and for the first time in her life Lindsay didn´t want to be the firstborn child of her parents. She had noticed how Sue and Jack looked at each other, and if Sue would tell her parents how much she loved Jack, they would certainly turn a blind eye and allow her to marry the poor son of a cattle dealer. But on Lindsay's shoulders a heavy duty was resting, which almost broke her heart.  
>"Maybe it comforts you a little that Callenburgh Castle is only one day's ride away," Sue said and Lindsay finally nodded. She couldn´t hear how desperately her sister was crying in the night.<p>

The next day, Connor tried to apologize and Lindsay was just nodding. This behavior frustrated him a lot because she didn´t dare to look at him. He loved the brightness of her eyes and her wonderful smile. He didn´t want to scare her yesterday, it was only a try to win her.  
>They rode in silence side by side, until they finally reached a crossroad with a signpost.<br>"This is the way to Dublin," Lindsay muttered, "So now our paths will go separate ways. I wish I could thank you for your help, "she said, looking at him.  
>Connor nodded and he stopped his horse right next to hers. "I know a reasonable reward," Connor stretched a little in her direction and she knew exactly what he wanted.<br>"That's impossible," Lindsay shook her head quickly, "I told you I am already espoused to another man. Therefore, I can´t kiss you. I could never forget you and I´d be caught in an unhappy marriage all my life." The horse began to walk and she hoped he couldn´t see the tears in her eyes, when she rode away. The horse galloped and Lindsay called after her sister. Sue said goodbye to Jack with a kiss and then she had to leave. She vowed herself she would come back to him as soon as they had handed the jewel to the King of Ireland.

Connor and Jack reached Callenburgh Castle a few hours earlier because the woods were so familiar to them and they knew how long Sue and Lindsay would take for their detour to Dublin. It was time that Connor finally talked to his father, and he immediately asked the king for an important conversation. After all, she had told him she was already espoused to another man and he didn´t want to come too late.  
>King Andrew was amazed when his eldest son didn´t even take a short break from his exhausting trip. So it seemed to be important. "I won´t marry the Princess of Scotland," Connor said to his father.<br>"Whom will you marry?", asked King Andrew, "Besides, what do you think, how do I explain this to my friend William, that you suddenly changed your mind and don´t want to marry the princess?"  
>"Didn´t you told me that the connections which are made out of love, are the happiest?"<br>King Andrew shook his head. He wished he hadn´t told his son how much he had loved his mother and how he had fought for that he could marry his beloved Victoria 27 years ago, and not the Countess of Saxe-Coburg.  
>"You sound like you've already found a woman," Andrew sighed, "Who is she?"<br>"She's the most beautiful woman I ever met. Her name is Lindsay and she and her sister were on the way to Dublin because they had to deliver a message to a friend of the family."  
>"Is she able to teach our traditions and values to your children?"<br>"She is."  
>King Andrew seemed to think for a moment. "Go and find her, my son. Find her and bring her to Callenburgh Castle, so I can take a look at the future Queen of Ireland."<br>Connor nodded and then he went to the stables. He asked for a different horse and set out immediately on his way to Dublin to look after her.

Breathlessly the princesses Lindsay and Susan reached a few hours later the castle and were immediately taken to the king. They bent the knees.  
>"Milord, we bring you the jewel. Our mother said, you would know what that means", without looking at the King, Lindsay handed him the bag.<br>"It's very nice to see you again, Princess Lindsay," he said, "You must know that my son isn´t thinking about you as his wife. I´m really sorry."  
>"I respect that, milord," Lindsay replied, "So I will also ask my father if he dissolves the connection." She was so enamored of the young man, who had saved her life in the forest, that it was alright when the Prince of Ireland didn´t want to marry her. If her own father didn´t respect these love, she would rather live as a poor girl than being married to someone who didn´t love her.<br>"Princesses, please stay for tonight. Your father would never forgive me if I allow you traveling the way home in this darkness."  
>"We feel very honored, milord," Sue thanked him. A court lady brought them to their rooms.<p>

"I can´t believe we have actually made it to Dublin," Sue told Lindsay, when both strolled in the late afternoon through the castle garden. Her mother had once told them how magnificent the rose garden was. Now they wanted to see the pretty flowers.  
>"Without Jack and Connor we wouldn´t have made it," Lindsay said and Sue knew that expression only too well. "My goodness," Sue sounded very shocked, "When we are on the way home, you should seek Connor and ask him if he comes to Edinburgh. Father has to meet him and he has to allow you to marry him... And if mother and father don´t allow this marriage, then you threaten them to renounce the throne."<br>"You think that would help?"  
>"Very much," Sue replied, "Father would never give the crown to me. I am deaf, remember?" Sue knew her father believed she was unacceptable as future queen. Sometimes, she was hurt but she had resigned. Therefore, Sue was also convinced her plan had to work.<br>"Excuse me, I'm not feeling well. I´ll go back to our room", Lindsay said and left Sue alone in the garden. Sue should not see how much she was suffering.  
>So Sue went alone through the garden and suddenly she met Jack, who was accompanied by a well-dressed man. "My son, this is Princess Susan of Scotland," King Andrew said and stood next to Sue.<br>"Princess, you've surely heard about Prince Jacob..."  
>"I...", Sue nodded when Jack grabbed her hand.<br>"We already know,", he was visibly relieved to see her again, "Father, you would leave us alone for a moment?"  
>King Andrew didn´t understand why his son sent him away, but he went and left the two alone in the middle of the rose garden. When he was gone, Sue wrapped her arms around Jack. "I didn´t know you are...", she began.<br>"I didn´t know you're the Princess of Scotland," he murmured, kissing her, "I missed you so much in the last hours."  
>"I missed you, too," Sue looked at him, "I´m so happy to see you again." Sue took a moment to realize what that would mean for her sister. "Jack, this means that Connor is also the Prince of Ireland?"<br>"Yes," Jack nodded, "Why do you ask?"  
>"Because Lindsay has fallen hopelessly in love with Connor. She doesn´t know he´s the prince of Ireland, to whom she´s is actually espoused. She feels miserable, " Sue said. She was still in Jack's arms and she liked it.<br>"Connor told father the same: he told he also had fallen in love with a beautiful stranger and at the moment he´s looking for her in Dublin. I got an idea: You have to persuade your sister to come to dinner tonight."

"Where is your future wife?", Andrew asked in the evening when he and Connor met in the dining room.  
>"I couldn´t find her," Connor was too frustrated, "I searched the whole town for her."<br>"The Princess of Scotland is here by the way," King Andrew said, "Do you want to meet her? We´ll have dinner. Maybe you get distracted for a while."  
>"No," Connor stared out of the window. He would be much happier if he could be with Lindsay.<br>"What a shame. She is a lovely, young lady. You would like her. Her sister is also very welcome. I think your brother is in love with her...", Andrew was interrupted when the heavy door to the dining room opened and Jack came in with a very beautiful young woman on his arm. "Milord," Sue greeted the King and Connor listened. He knew that voice from somewhere. Finally, another person walked into the room. "Milord, I can´t thank you enough for your hospitality," the person said and Connor looked up. In the fine clothes she secretly had in her luggage, she looked like a real princess. Her hair fell over her shoulders like angel hair.  
>"Lindsay", he got up and walked toward her. He noticed the look in her eyes and a slight twitching in her hands. She didn´t want to hug him in public and held back, but he took this decision for her. He took her hands, pulled her close and kissed her.<br>"Connor, you... you can´t…", his father was lost for words when he saw his son kissing the Princess of Scotland and she didn´t resist.  
>"This is Lindsay," Connor said.<br>"I know, this is the Princess of Scotland."  
>"No, she´s the woman I want to marry."<br>"The princess will ask her father to break the connection when she´s back home," said King Andrew and Connor looked at her: "Is he telling the truth?"  
>"That was before I knew who you are. Before I came here, I've fallen in love with the carefree young man who saved me and my sister out of the hands of robbers and... That's the reason why I didn´t want you to kiss me. I was afraid I could never forget you and..."<br>"I'll tell you a secret," he came closer, but this time she didn´t mind: "Today, I asked my father to dissolve my marriage with the Princess of Scotland, because I´m in love with a charming woman, who traveled carelessly through the Irish forests." He knew now that the Princess of Scotland and the young woman whose life he had saved in the forest were one and the same person and he would do anything if he could only marry her. Connor knew she loved him too, because if it wasn´t so, she would have never thought about dissolving her connection to the Prince of Ireland, when she didn´t know that the heroic man who had stolen her heart was in truth the Prince of Ireland.  
>"Are you sure you want to solve the engagement with me?", Connor asked.<br>"I'm sure," she replied, "I'm sure I won´t dissolve the engagement."

Thus, it was decided she would marry him and Lindsay smiled happily when she thought about it. "May I ask you a question?", She wanted to know, when Connor took her to her room.  
>"Whatever you want."<br>"When you saved Sue and me from the robbers in the woods, you said you were on a trip. This journey should take you to me in Edinburgh, right?"  
>"That's right," he replied honestly, "May I also ask you a question? Would you kiss me again?"<br>"This is not a question but a request," she laughed and stretched to kiss her fiancé Good night, when they reached her door.  
>"What´s the message you should bring to my father?", Connor asked eagerly.<br>"There is no real message, but rather a jewel. It´s the Golden Jewel of Scotland. My mother said, your father would understand the message."  
>"A golden jewel?", Connor asked, "Jewels are usually red, blue or green, but the golden are very rare because they come from far away. Are you sure?"<br>"I've never seen this jewel. I only carried the jewel in a bag, after my mother gave it to me. A group of dark rider occurred at Edinburgh Castle and …", she couldn´t go on.  
>"Let's take a look at the jewel," Connor suggested and therefore he decided to postpone their night rest´s for a while, "As far as I know, my father brought it to the royal treasury..."<p>

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Princess and the Golden Jewel Chapter 2  
>Author: DancingStar<br>Crossover: PSI Factor/ Sue Thomas: FBEye  
>Pairing: Connor Lindsay, Jack/ Sue  
>Rating: 12<br>Category: AU, Romance  
>Content: The Golden Jewel rises lots of riddles...<br>Comments: Golden Jewels, so called Citrines, are produced in Brazil.

**The Princess and the Golden Jewel Chapter 2**

The path to the treasure chamber was only lit by torches and Lindsay grabbed for Connors hand concerned when they went down into the dark basement of the castle. The entrance to the treasury was guarded by two strong men in heavy armor. "Who´s bothering?", one of the men yelled as they stood before them.  
>"Prince Connor and Princess Lindsay," he replied, the two stepped aside and let them in. The men closed the door behind them and told them they should knock three times when they want to leave the treasury. Connor took a torch from the wall and with Lindsay he went to the small platform on which he suspected the jewel. Their way was lined with some treasure chests full of gold coins and diamonds.<br>"You see, my love, you don´t need not worry about the future," Connor said.  
>"The gold in this treasury isn´t the reason why I want to marry you," she replied while she walked behind him through the darkness and Connor smiled, but she couldn´t see this.<br>"Well, I´m glad to hear this", he answered and then walked up some stairs with her. "There it has to be," Connor said, "My father, Jack and I have been here several times and when this podium was empty, I asked him for what it was reserved. He answered that it was the place for the Golden Jewel."  
>Lindsay picked up the object which should be the golden jewel. "But this is a gold nugget," she disagreed, noting the strange signs which were engraved into its surface. Both tried to identify the letters in the piece of gold. "This is neither Irish nor Scottish," Connor noted, "Or some other language I know."<br>"Why would my mother lie to me about the Golden Jewel?", Lindsay asked and she couldn´t believe that Connor was right, there was no Golden Jewels.  
>"Maybe this isn´t the real jewel," he suggested, waving the torch around looking. He walked through the treasury and found nothing that looked like a golden jewel.<br>"Maybe my mother didn´t know much better," Lindsay replied to herself and bit carefully in the gold coin. She went to Connor and in the light of the torch she saw a slight bite track. "Anyway, it's real gold," she muttered, "If we only knew the meaning of the letters."  
>"We´re going to ask my father," Connor suggested. Lindsay put the jewel back to its place and together they left the treasury and wanted to see King Andrew, who was still debating with Jack in the throne room. Apparently it was quite a difficult topic, because they could hear Jack's loud voice even out here behind the massive door.<br>"There is something else," Connor said, holding her back before they entered the throne room. He fumbled in his pocket. "That´s my mother´s engagement ring," he told and put a ring with a ruby red stone on her finger, "I want you to wear it."  
>"Thanks," she smiled and kissed him affectionately. Presumably he had taken the ring out of the treasury when she didn´t notice it.<br>They now entered the throne room and saw how Jack and his father discussed. Sue tried to calm him, but he didn´t listen to her.  
>"Either I´ll marry Sue or I never get married!", Jack exclaimed and put his hands angrily on the table. Anger flashed in his eyes. Sue asked him to calm down and stop talking to his father in that way.<br>"This threat won´t show effect," Andrew promised him and Jack didn´t understand. Today, before his brother knew Lindsay was the princess, Connor had announced he wanted to make a middle-class girl to his wife, Andrew had no objection. Now Jack had asked his father to be allowed to marry Sue and the king refused. The more Jack thought about it, the more he got suspicious, why King Andrew did that. He had to know her secret. After all, he and King William were very good friends. Jack assumed William had talked to his friend some years ago and complained his pain when the doctors found out that Sue was deaf.  
>"Well," Jack snorted angrily, "If living my life without my family is necessary, I'll do it! I will leave Ireland and Sue and I will go to Scotland!"<br>"Jack!", Sue was shocked when he said that.  
>"Your threat won´t show effect," King Andrew repeated, "Your brother is engaged and if the marriage isn´t childless, we don´t need you..."<br>"Father, enough!", Connor suddenly said. He was the last person who wanted to hear, they could do without his brother. With this statement he wasn´t better than Sue´s and Lindsay´s father King William who wanted to see his deaf daughter die in a dungeon.  
>"If my brother has to leave Ireland to marry Princess Susan, I'll join: then there´s no reason for me to be King of Ireland and Princess Lindsay and I will go to Scotland, too. I hope the people there are thinking a bit more liberal about the connection between them."<br>All of a sudden Andrew sat upright in his chair. "You don´t dare...", he knew that Connor wasn´t kidding: the two brothers stuck together like a strong bundle of twigs.  
>"Now, Father, what do you say?", Connor asked, "Should the Irish royal family come to an end here and now without an heir to the throne?"<br>"Of course not," Andrew muttered and he knew exactly what that meant: the two brothers had beaten him again.

Connor insisted to marry Lindsay as soon as possible and so they decided to make an appointment for this coming Sunday in the chapel. Due to the unrest in Scotland, they kept the wedding as a secret. Lindsay and Connor were so taken with the preparations that they had forgotten the letters on the piece of gold.  
>Certainly, the two princesses were very excited because today was the day when Sue got married, too. She was so happy they had managed to convince the king.<br>Andrew previously announced he wanted to give the crown to his son after Connor and Lindsay got married. The dispute about Princess Susan showed him how outdated his views were.  
>"If this day is over, you are Queen Lindsay of Ireland," Sue smiled and tied a veil in Lindsay's hair. Then, she was Princess Susan of Ireland and Scotland. With that thought she also had to smile.<br>"I feel uncomfortable at the thought."  
>"You shouldn´t. You wanted to marry Connor…"<br>"I'm not worried about Connor, but because mother and father... Mother had wished to be here at the wedding."  
>"Yes," Sue nodded sadly, "Father always dreamed about seeing Scotland and Ireland united one day... But now we must hurry. Certainly we´re expected in church." Sue was already dressed and Lindsay promised her sister she looked very nice in her dress. Sue´s eyes sparkled when she took Jack's hand in the small castle church after Connor and Lindsay got married by a priest. They were all gasping for air when Andrew gave Connor the crown in the following ceremony. Connor promised he would do everything in his might to protect Ireland and the people from all four directions and he´d do everything to bring peace and prosperity.<br>The ceremony was very nice, but when it was over they decided to return to their usual routine. "I know you wanted a fairytale wedding," Jack apologized to Sue and she shook her head: "All I want is to be with you," she smiled.  
>So the day went by and the evening was approaching. Lindsay didn´t like to admit but she was afraid of this night. Her mother had explained to her and Sue, what would happen in the wedding night when they were old enough to understand. Nevertheless, Lindsay was afraid Connor wouldn´t be pleased. She remembered what almost had happened one week ago in the cave and she also remembered the feelings Connor caused at this moment.<br>In their room, he looked distressed at her reflection in the mirror after brushing her hair when Connor planted a kiss on her cheek. "My love," he muttered, "Come, it's getting late."  
>Lindsay looked shocked and Connor understood immediately. "I'm tired," he smiled, "If you want, I can wait. It would be enough for me to know you next to me tonight."<br>She found he actually sounded very tired and when he went to bed, she rose from her chair and walked to the bed. "I'm not sure if that's enough for me," said she and Connor noticed the difference in her voice immediately. He pulled her closer for a kiss and they spent a stormy first night as husband and wife. Then she remained in Connor´s arms, enjoying his nearness in the glow of the warm fireplace. Her head lay on his chest so she could hear his heartbeat. "I never said that to you before," Lindsay began exhausted, as she clung to him, "But I love you."  
>"Yes, I know," he kissed her forehead, "I love you, too."<p>

_'Cause everytime we touch _  
><em>I get this feeling <em>  
><em>And everytime we kiss <em>  
><em>I swear I could fly <em>  
><em>Can't you feel my heart beat fast <em>  
><em>I want this to last <em>  
><em>Need you by my side <em>

_'Cause everytime we touch _  
><em>I feel the Static <em>  
><em>And everytime we kiss <em>  
><em>I reach for the sky <em>  
><em>Can't you feel my heart beat so <em>  
><em>I can't let you go <em>  
><em>Want you in my life <em>

_Your arms are my castle _  
><em>Your heart is my sky <em>  
><em>They wipe away tears that I cry <em>  
><em>All the good and the bad times <em>  
><em>We've been through them all <em>  
><em>You make me rise when I fall<em>

Next morning, when Lindsay was still asleep, Connor met the man who served his father all those years: Peter was a knight who knew how to win a war and they were talking of course about the unrest in Scotland and how they should deal with it now.  
>"I'm worried about my mother," Sue confessed when they were in mid-conversation and Jack took her hand. "Then we should travel to Edinburgh," he replied.<br>"A very good idea!", Connor suddenly said, "We´ll come with you!"  
>"We?", Peter asked, "Milord, you can´t come with us. If you and your brother would die then…?"<br>"Neither the people in Ireland nor the people in Scotland know that I'm the new king. We should use that fact."  
>"Do you think that's a good idea?", asked his brother Jack.<br>"Why not? We finally take a whole army with us. "  
>"Milord, an army takes one week for the journey to Scotland," Peter remembered the army contained a lot of heavy iron, "A small group is much faster, but I advise you and the Queen shouldn´t travel to Scotland. If it's true what they say and the Riders of Ayr invaded Edinburgh, it´s extremely unwise to return."<br>"Don´t worry, I already have a plan. The Queen has brought me to it."  
>"So? What do you want to do?", Jack asked.<br>"We are traveling incognito."  
>"By yourself?", Peter didn´t believe what he heard.<br>"No, you can come with us," Connor said and Peter didn´t thought it sounded like he had a choice, "We´ll leave tomorrow morning."

Two days later, Edinburgh Castle wasn´t far away: They left Dublin by ship then the journey from Glasgow to Edinburgh was uneventful. It started to rain when Lindsay noticed they were getting closer to the castle. She recognized the woods.  
>Jack rode next to Sue and noticed how depressed she looked. "Is everything alright?", he anxiously asked and she nodded. Sue hoped her father wasn´t too upset when he found out she had married Prince Jacob of Ireland. She told her sister about this fear and Lindsay said Sue couldn´t have had better choice. "The heart speaks in a different language than our father does," Lindsay calmed Sue.<br>Connor also noted Lindsay's troubled face. As he rode beside her, he grabbed her hand and she looked at him quizzically. "I promise to do everything I need to do to protect your and Scotland."  
>"Thanks," she looked at him and smiled. If they were alone now, she would have kissed him and wrapped her arms around him without hesitation.<br>Above their heads a raven screamed and Peter yelled that Edinburgh Castle was in sight. It took another half hour, until they reached the castle. "The gate is open," Sue said worried. Normally the main gate was always locked.  
>"My goodness," Lindsay murmured when their horses reached inside of the castle. Edinburgh Castle was deserted and in some places badly damaged. Windows were smashed, walls were broken down.<br>Connor looked a little bit worried at his wife when she got out of the saddle of her horse and hastily ran into the throne room. "Father?... Mother?", she cried and pushed the heavy door to the throne room. There, it looked terrible: Banners were torn from the walls, carpets were torn and some tables that were in the room were knocked over. "Where are our parents?", Lindsay asked. Her sister, Connor, Jack and Peter also entered the throne room. The men walked in disbelief among some dead knights who were lying on the floor. Connor wondered who was so powerful to kill the bodyguard of the Scottish king.  
>"There's the king!", Peter suddenly exclaimed. He saw a bearded man lying on the ground. In his left shoulder an arrow was sticking, but he was still breathing.<br>"Father?", Lindsay took his hand and wondered how long he has been here and she was shaking his shoulder, "Father, wake up."  
>King William opened his eyes and saw his daughters. "My dear children," he muttered.<br>"Father, how long do you lie here hurt?", Sue wanted to know.  
>"Since the Riders of Ayr attacked the castle two weeks ago," William coughed, "You must stop the Riders of Ayr. They spread fear and terror in Scotland and this country shouldn´t be governed this way. Now that I know you both returned safely, I can die in peace." William began to cough again.<br>"Father!," Lindsay yelled. She didn´t want him to die, but he closed his eyes and suddenly his hand was weak. When they were sure William was dead, Lindsay let him resting on the floor and she and Sue began to cry. Connor and Jack tried to comfort their wives.  
>"The king is dead," Peter said then he looked at Connor, "Long live the King of Scotland."<br>While he held his sobbing wife in his arms, Connor nodded impassively. "Let´s look after Queen Anna Maria," he suggested, "We care about a funeral for King William later." Lindsay nodded and Connor helped her getting up. They went a little aimlessly through the empty rooms of the castle, until they reached the Queen's room. There, Anna Maria lay in bed, her face glowed and sweat was on her forehead. "She´s got fever," Sue said, when she touched the forehead of her mother and he saw the deep gash on the neck of the woman, "Maybe an infection..."  
>"Mother?", Queen Anna Maria heard the voice of her oldest daughter and when she opened her eyes, she realized that she was lying in a bed and Sue and Lindsay sat beside her bed.<br>"My daughters, you're back... Where is William?", Anna Maria asked.  
>"Father is dead"<br>"Yes, I know," Anna Maria had suspected the king wouldn´t survive the battle and her own health wasn´t much better.  
>"What about the jewel?", she tried to get up, but Lindsay held back her.<br>"Don´t worry, it´s in Ireland. It's safe", Lindsay reassured her and now Connor remembered that they actually wanted to ask his father what the letters in the piece of gold meant.  
>Anna Maria breathed hard and now noticed the two men, which looked very worried. She recognized one of them. "You're the Prince of Ireland, right?", She asked and Connor nodded.<br>"Meanwhile, King, yes," then Connor turned to his wife, "If you or your sister need something, we wait outside for you."  
>Lindsay nodded and held his hand. She watched them when they left the room and Anna Maria saw the ring on her daughter´s finger. "Did you marry him?", the Queen asked and Lindsay nodded again, "That was good."<br>"He loves me very much," Lindsay said, "Do you remember our conversation, which we had when the Riders of Ayr have occurred here?... I often told you that I wanted someone who loves me... and Connor is what I wanted. He treats me very well and... Sue and I will have a good life in Ireland."  
>"Why don´t you stay with me?", Anna Maria wanted to know, looked at Sue and the next moment she regretted her question because she knew she wouldn´t survive this day.<br>"My husband needs me, mother," Sue said, "I love Prince Jacob very much and can´t imagine a day without him."  
>"Knowing both of you in save hands is everything I wanted," Anna Maria smiled and closed her eyes happily. Lindsay realized immediately and jumped up from her chair. "Mother!", she cried and shook Anna Maria's shoulders roughly, but she didn´t open her eyes, "Mother!"<br>Due the screams Connor and Jack re- entered the room and Connor took his wife into his arms. Lindsay was crying bitterly. She was so upset she couldn´t comfort her sister Sue and Connor brought to her room. He stayed with her until she calmed down. Connor held her in his arms and asked if she felt better, but she shook her head slowly.  
>"When I was a child I could hardly wait to become the Queen of Scotland," Lindsay sighed, "When I grew older I realized this meant the death of my parents. Now I am the Queen of Scotland and it doesn´t make me happy a little bit."<br>"I know, I feel the same," Connor firmly embraced her. He remembered his father wasn´t dead, but had left him the crown. He understood how she felt and he was calmed as she clung to him. The fact that he had become the King of Ireland and Scotland in a very short time, filled him with a sense of being overwhelmed, but he didn´t tell his wife. "I promised I´ll do everything to protect you and Scotland," he recalled and she nodded silently, "Now that we know Edinburgh Castle in our hands, we ask some construction workers so they can reverse the damage... "  
>"That's very sweet of you."<br>"...And then we´ll find the Riders of Ayr."

It was strange to spend a night with her husband in her old room. Her old room reminded her of her comfortable childhood and now that she was an adult woman, it was quite funny to be here. As a little girl she had always wished that her daughter would live in this room one day, but she knew it was impossible. At that time she hadn´t believed there could be a person who loved her and now she found him. She was glad to return with him to Ireland and hopefully soon becoming the mother of his children.  
>Connor rested exhausted in bed. The journey had been very stressful for him, too. "You've had a very nice room here," he stated, noting her smile.<br>"Yes, but it's not as nice as my room in Ireland."  
>"You are kidding."<br>"No," she shook her head and heard him laugh for a moment. Then he sighed helplessly. "What are you thinking about?", she wanted to know when she lay down beside him.  
>"What reason the Riders of Ayr might have to destroy the castle?", Connor was only thinking out loud and Lindsay had to admit she had no answer.<br>"Perhaps they have been looking for the jewel," she surmised, "Mother first asked for the whereabouts of the jewels, after she woke up... Maybe the Riders of Ayr were furious when they realized the jewel isn´t here and my parents had to die for this reason." As she said this, she fled in her husband´s arms when she thought about the cruel memories of her parents´ death.  
>"If this is true, then the people on Callenburgh Castle are in danger", Connor stated.<br>"But no one, besides us and your father, knows the gem is there," she finally calmed down and he nodded in agreement.  
>"If we only knew where the riders of Ayr had gone...," Lindsay muttered before she fell asleep tired.<p>

Next morning before sunrise, Peter went to town and hired some staff. He suspected the people had left Edinburgh Castle when the Riders of Ayr invaded here, but the new king and queen needed help now. They couldn´t take care of the castle alone and now they had different worries than the cleanliness of the kitchens and quarters.  
>The breakfast was, thanks to the new staff, ready when Connor and Lindsay went downstairs to the dining room. Lindsay first noticed the depressed expression of her sister. The death of her parents was still sad and it would take a while, until the terrible memories had faded but she didn´t doubt that Jack wouldn´t help her sister. "It was a horrible night," Sue finally admitted to her sister, "I've dreamed of mother and father."<br>Jack, who sat beside her, grabbed her hand. "You don´t need to worry," he promised, "We will do what your father said, looking for the Riders of Ayr. Then they will pay for what they did to your parents."  
>"Then we aren´t better than them," Connor didn´t like the plans of his brother at all, "We will find them and find out why they killed King William and Queen Anna Maria."<br>Lindsay remembered the brief conversation they had last night before going to bed. "I´m not sure but what, if they were looking for the jewel," she said, staring at her plate.  
>"The question then is why they were looking for the jewel", Jack announced, "Why is it so valuable that a group of riders is looking for it?"<br>"We saw the Golden Jewel," Lindsay told, Jack and Sue looked at her surprised.  
>"Really? Does it really look like a golden jewel?"<br>"No. It´s not even a precious stone, it´s a piece of gold with engraved, foreign letters. I don´t know what it means."  
>"Before we came, we wanted to ask father, about the letters," Connor said, "But unfortunately we forgot when you and father had a fight about Sue." Connor looked at his brother but he knew he wasn´t to blame.<br>"It wouldn´t be difficult to figure out where the Rider of Ayr are now," Peter said, who came in with a heavy piece of ham and of course he heard their conversation, "The riders left behind a trail of devastation: I heard a messenger who has just arrived from Aberdeen talking about that. The messenger told me some castles of a few clans in the highlands were destroyed... Maybe we should try to follow them."  
>"And what do we do? Ask them politely to stop the destruction of this country?", Jack wanted to know. Peter let the ham fall on a wooden table.<br>"Of course not," was Peter's answer, "We first ask them if they really wanted the jewel and why. And then we'll have to kill them."  
>"But ...!", Lindsay got up.<br>"Milady, there´s no other way if you want to protect your country and your people."  
>Lindsay sat down on the hard bench without saying a word. She didn´t like Peter's idea but the silence of all others told her that they agreed.<p>

"I don´t feel comfortable with that idea," Lindsay admitted to her husband when they departed in the afternoon. She was sitting in the saddle of her horse when he gave her a bag.  
>"Me neither," he agreed, "But there´s no other choice: If you want peace for Scotland, we must do something. We have to stop the Riders of Ayr. I just don´t know how…"<br>"I'm also wondering how you are going to do this," she murmured, watching as Jack also helped her sister into the saddle of a heavily laden horse. She thought it wasn´t a good idea Sue came along, too. If something happened to her and Connor, Sue and Jack could govern Scotland and Ireland. But if they´d die, there would be nobody, except the younger brother of her father.  
>"Shall we ask Prince Jacob, the younger brother of my father for help?", Lindsay asked and because Sue had seen it, she said she hadn´t seen Jacob for a long time.<br>"You see me every day," Jack joked, but he knew they didn´t talk about him. He was merely trying to cheer up his wife.  
>"That's a good idea," Connor agreed to his wife. As far as he knew, the younger brother of William II lived in a castle near Aberdeen. The trip to the north came at the right time. He added this would only help them if his wife's uncle was still alive, after all the Riders of Ayr invaded the area near Aberdeen.<br>"How much time will we need to Aberdeen?", Jack asked and Sue told him they might be faster if their horses weren´t packed with so much stuff. Then they could reach the small town within a day. But the horses had to carry some weight so they´d reach the destination until tomorrow noon.  
>It was hard for Lindsay to leave Edinburgh Castle. She turned around again, when the horses walked down the mountain on which the castle was located. "Don´t worry. We will come back", Connor promised her and Lindsay tried to nod bravely.<br>"Why does your uncle live in Aberdeen?", Jack asked, after they were a few hours on the road and he rode on his horse next to Sue and Lindsay. He couldn´t imagine why the Scottish Prince Jacob didn´t live in Edinburgh Castle.  
>"Grandfather has banished him to the north in his youth," Lindsay told, "We only visited him a few times."<br>"Do you know why King William I has banished his second son?"  
>"Grandfather told father never to talk about it ever again... but grandfather caught my uncle in his youth with a stable boy and then sent him to Aberdeen for all time. Since then the two have never spoken a word to each other…. Because my father helped my grandfather with banishing Uncle Jacob, some people at the royal court believe Sue´s deafness is a punishment for what my father did."<br>"Could we get problems with Uncle Jacob?" Jack asked, "Did he may cast an eye on the crown?" This question was of course justified, because if the Riders of Ayr weren´t looking for the Golden Jewel, but had only come to Edinburgh to kill King William II and Queen Anna Maria, this explained a lot.  
>"No," Lindsay replied, "Uncle Jacob loves his... we call it ... illustrious life. And the church wouldn´t accept a man on the throne, who loves his stable boy."<br>With this answer Jack was finally satisfied. At noon they stopped for a break in the vicinity of a fair. Peter, Jack and Connor fed the horses, while Lindsay and Sue tried to get some food. Finally, Lindsay came back to their resting place with a basket full of sausage and bread, which she had bought from a baker.  
>After they had eaten, Sue suggested a short walk. They sat on the horse´s back all day and it couldn´t hurt them if they are also walked a little bit.<br>"What's wrong with you?", Jack asked and Sue grabbed his hand. The blissful smile of his wife irritated him.  
>"We met a fortune teller at the fair," Sue said.<br>"Do you believe in this mumbo jumbo?", he asked and she nodded hastily.  
>"The fortune teller predicted I'm pregnant," Sue further reported, "She said the baby is a result of our wedding night a few days ago..."<br>Jack paused. How did the fortune teller know they got married only a few days ago? They wore no wedding rings because they wanted to avoid robbers and in the castle no one knew about their wedding…  
>"...You aren´t interested of what she had said?", she wanted to know, but she didn´t let him answer, "She said we´d have five children. Our third child would die of sudden infant death syndrome, but we are strong enough to get over it and..."<br>"Dearest," Jack paused again and took one of her hands, "I don´t believe in black magic. Maybe she's wrong and none of our children will die or..."  
>"So you don´t think that I already carry a child under my heart...", she dryly noted.<br>"Oh no," then he pulled her tightly to him, "Having a baby would be very nice but currently the circumstances are most unfavorable: Scotland isn´t a safe place for a baby."  
>"Then let's go to Ireland," she suggested.<br>"We will," promised Jack, "When the time is right."

They rode to the north till night came up. When it became dark, they reached a small village that was surrounded by a protective wall. "We should rest here," Lindsay suggested and Connor helped his wife off the horse. With her horse by the reins, she finally went to a gate and knocked.  
>"Who´s bothering?", On the wooden door a smaller door opened and a pair of eyes looked at her.<br>"We are looking for a guest house to stay," Lindsay admitted, "We are just passing through."  
>"Excuse me, young lady," the man said, stepping aside in order to open the gate for them, "Out there in the night there´s so much riff-raff hanging around. It is my duty to ask after dark."<br>"We understand, of course."  
>"The inn is located at the end of the alley," the man said as she led her horse past him. Lindsay thanked him and they walked through the dark streets of the small village and reached their accommodation. They took their horses into the stable and asked the owner of the guest house, if they could get a warm meal at this late time. The landlord wasn´t particularly happy but he mumbled to cook a soup.<br>The five hungry figures sat at a table. Only then Lindsay noticed how much her whole body ached. "If we start early tomorrow, we´ll reach Dobrinshire Castle at lunch time," said Peter. The uncle of Queen Lindsay and Princess Susan lived on Dobrinshire Castle and he was very excited to see his reaction when they´d told him about King William's death.  
>"There is no reason to travel to Dobrinshire Castle," a voice said, which was accompanied to their table by a different shape. Peter got up and immediately drew his sword: "Who are you, stranger?"<br>The man to whom the voice belonged, pulled the cap from his head. "I'm Prince Jacob of Scotland... This is my body guard Miles," he said and now his companion, a tall blond man, revealed his identity.  
>"As I said before, there is no reason to travel to Dobrinshire Castle ", Prince Jacob of Scotland repeated, "It was destroyed by the Riders of Ayr."<p>

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Princess and The Golden Jewel Chapter 3  
>Author: DancingStar<br>Crossover: PSI Factor/ Sue Thomas F.  
>Pairing: Connor Lindsay, Jack/ Sue  
>Rating: 12<br>Category: Romance, AU  
>Summary: A storyteller knows the identity of the Riders of Ayr...<br>Notes: I've always wanted to write something like "Lord of the Rings". Hope, I have succeeded... :-)

**The Princess and the Golden Jewel-Chapter 3 **

"Prince Jacob, what are you doing here?", Peter asked, lowering his sword.  
>"Dark riders attacked Dobrinshire Castle and killed many people," the prince replied, "My bodyguard and I could run away but my partner... Well, many people I loved are dead."<br>"Do you know why the Riders of Ayr also invaded your castle?"  
>"No, but why are you saying this?"<br>"The Riders of Ayr caused lots of damage to Edinburgh Castle," Peter answered and concerned he looked at the face of Prince Jacob of Ireland. "What about my brother and his wife?", the prince asked although Peter was hoping he wouldn´t ask for it.  
>"They are both dead, uncle," Lindsay explained.<br>"I'm sorry, my dear child. I´m sure the crown is in very good hands with you, because as you may know I'm not eager to be king."  
>"I know, Uncle," Lindsay nodded sadly, but she was also relieved he reacted like this, "Well, where do you go now?"<br>"I wanted to see my brother in Edinburgh," he admitted, "But that was before you told me he´s dead. I think I'll visit a distant relative in England."  
>"Do you have any idea where the Riders of Ayr had gone to after destroying Dobrinshire Castle?," Peter asked and Prince Jacob of Scotland shook his head. He asked them not to stop him any longer. It was still a long journey to England. Prince Jacob of Scotland and his companion Miles went out and left five helpless figures behind. Peter didn´t know if he should be relieved or angry that the Riders of Ayr weren´t sent by Jacob of Scotland.<br>"Let´s ride to Cobrinshire Castle in the morning," Lindsay suddenly suggested, "Maybe we can find an answer to why they also attacked Uncle Jacob."

They wanted to convince themselves of Uncle Jacob's words and so next morning they rode to the place near Aberdeen, where Dobrinshire Castle was located and her uncle hadn´t actually lied: The castle was burned down to the ground. They wouldn´t find an indication here why the Riders of Ayr had destroyed the castle.  
>Disappointed, they rode to the nearest city, Aberdeen, and there they wanted to talk about what they should do next. Dobrinshire Castle was destroyed almost worse than Edinburgh Castle because there was only a small pile of stones left. Therefore Lindsay had no idea if it was even possible to stop the Riders of Ayr. "Do you know what I've always wondered?", Lindsay wanted to know from her sister when their horses walked side by side, "Why did mother know the Riders of Ayr?" She still remembered very well, how terrified Anna Maria had reacted when the Riders of Ayr had invaded Edinburgh Castle.<br>After arriving in Aberdeen, they tied their horses in front of a guest house and Peter, Connor and Jack wanted to look for an accommodation for the night. It still took hours till the day was over, but today many dealers were in town and Connor suggested they all would need a place to stay. So they let Sue and Lindsay feed the horses, but Lindsay almost took care of the horses by herself. "Would you please help me?", she asked and was carrying a heavy bale of hay to the animals, but Sue rather watched the people who were gathered at the square. Sue looked at the market-women and a man, dressed in colorful clothes, told a story to the children. Lindsay shook her head. She had forgotten that Sue couldn´t see what she said when she watched other people.  
>"That man right there told the story of the Golden Jewel of Scotland to the children," Sue suddenly said and when Lindsay heard that, she turned to the man.<br>"What exactly did he tell?", she asked when she stood next to Sue.  
>Sue tried to read from the man´s lips, but because now a different, big man stood before him, she couldn´t see him anymore. "Sorry, he blocks my vision."<br>"Never mind," Lindsay said, "If we fed the horses, we´ll ask him."  
>Sue didn´t know if that was such a good idea, but she helped her sister to feed the horses and then they went to the man who obviously was something of a storyteller who traveled through the country: his worldly possessions were an old wooden cart, pulled by a stubborn donkey.<br>"We heard you've told the children a story about the Golden Jewel of Scotland," Lindsay began, "Would you tell us that story again, we are very interested."  
>"Why?", the man laughed, "Do you want to steal the jewel? As far as I know, Edinburgh Castle was attacked and when the thieves realized the jewel wasn´t there, they have killed the king and queen."<br>"I wish it would have been thieves, but unfortunately they were called as the Riders of Ayr..."  
>"And how do you know?"<br>"Because my mother, Queen Anna Maria, told me who it was."  
>"Then you are...", The storyteller took a moment until he realized who now stood before him, "Then, your´ re the princess?"<br>"Yes," she nodded because she wasn´t in the mood to correct him she was the Queen. The last thing they needed was that the man fell to his knees before her. "Don´t tell the people I´m the queen... And now, if you know something about the Golden Jewel of Scotland, you have to tell my husband."  
>"At your service, milady."<p>

Sir Anton, that was the storyteller´s name, was once a very respected man in Edinburgh Castle and he reported he had worked in the palace of the Scottish king, when both princesses weren´t born yet. He told them that back then Lindsay and Sue's grandfather, William I, was the king. One day he returned home from a battle and on an ammunition wagon the men brought a big lump of gold to the castle. This all happened after King William I and his firstborn son had banned the second prince of Scotland, Prince Jacob, to Aberdeen. Sir Anton had asked the king at that time where he got this big lump of gold from and William I replied a magic fairy gave the gold to him. But Sir Anton didn´t believe in fairies and he also didn´t believe in the words of his king.  
>"In the evening I asked the king again, how he got jewel from and again he told me fairies gave it to him when he told them his son had recently married the princess of Portugal," Anton said and Lindsay nodded. The whole thing had obviously happened after the marriage of her parents. Therefore Anna Maria knew the Riders of Ayr.<br>"Now that my king didn´t want to talk about this, I decided to use all available funds to find out the truth: I knew the king was a fond of wine, so I gave him a pitcher after another. After some time he told me how he had watered his horse at a water hole alone and met an old man, who had a larger gold nugget. The man explained this nugget was a gift by the Druids and they called it the Golden Jewel of Scotland because it was found in their mines. At that time, after the battle against the Danish Kingdom, Scotland was a poor country and King William felt obligated to help the country back to prosperity. So he killed the poor beggar, took the gold nugget and told his men he had received it from a magical fairy... "  
>Lindsay and Sue couldn´t believe what Sir Anton told them about their grandfather.<br>"...Home in the castle King William I told his son about his wish Scotland needed more money in the treasury and because of the king was afraid of thieves, he and his son took the jewel, which was actually a piece of gold to the treasury. When they arrived, all the chests were full of gold although they were sure the treasure chests were previously empty. A little later, when King William I longed to see the jewel, he went secretly at night to the treasury, touched the gem and told to the piece of gold how angry he was about a threat of war from the Norwegian royal family and while he touched the jewel lovingly he wished that King Haakon of Norway was going to die soon. Two days later a messenger arrived and told to William I that the Norwegian king had died two days ago. William I realized the jewel fulfilled good and evil wishes and when he exaggerated death wishes for his enemies, Prince William II hat to stop his father: He had heard how his father wished in the presence of the jewel that his second son, Prince Jacob, would die quickly and although the scandals William II still liked his brother, so he finally killed his father. When the king was dead the Jewel of Scotland disappeared from the treasury, only a small piece of the jewel, decorated with strange letters was left and the whereabouts of this piece of gold is unknown... As I said: Everything had happened when you and your sister weren´t born yet, milady. But now you know about this. "  
>"This is the reason why the Riders of Ayr won´t find out the current whereabouts of the jewel," Lindsay muttered and looked at Connor. The Riders of Ayr had no idea that King William II and his wife Anna Maria would have children someday and they didn´t know the oldest daughter was now married to the King of Ireland.<br>"As far as I know," Sir Anton began, "King William II had tried to use the jewel for his wishes as well: When Princes Susan was born he wished health for his daughter. It´s only a rumor and the rumor also says it didn´t work... That was told to me by a friend, who worked a little bit longer than me at Edinburgh Castle."  
>Lindsay nodded. So the jewel didn´t work in the hands of her father, because if it would have worked, Sue could live normal life. Apparently the Riders of Ayr didn´t know about this fact, too.<br>"Do you know who the rider of Ayr are?," said Connor. He seemed to have read the thoughts of his wife and took her hand gently.  
>"A story says the Riders of Ayr are the ghost of people whose mortal bodies found an early death through the Jewel of Scotland and they are looking for the jewel, because then they want redemption. An old washer-woman once told she was watching the Riders of Ayr one evening and King William I was among them."<br>If it was true what Sir Anton said, then her own father could also be among the Riders of Ayr, Lindsay thought. "Do you know, if my father is also among the Riders?", she asked but Sir Anton shook his head.  
>"We saw your father dying at Edinburgh Castle," Connor tried to reassure her.<br>"That doesn´t mean anything, milord," Sir Anton disagreed, "Your now deceased father in law and I drew a curtain over King William I in the courtyard of Edinburgh Castle many years ago. The report of the washer-woman, that William I was among the Riders of Ayr, is of course only a story but there´s some truth many stories."

"What will we do now?", Jack wanted to know from his brother. The thought that their dead father in law was perhaps among the Riders of Ayr, distressed both. When Sir Anton had left today, he told them they shouldn´t be too sure about the buried body of the old king in the castle garden and at this moment Sue and Lindsay couldn´t stay in Aberdeen for one more second. They immediately wanted to ride back to Edinburgh and if necessary they wanted to ride all night long. They allowed their horses a quieter pace currently. Nevertheless, it would take a while, until they reached Edinburgh. They´d arrive tomorrow morning because the small clock tower in the village which they had passed some time ago struck midnight. So it must be early morning and one day was still left.  
>"Milord, the horses are tired," Peter said and Connor nodded approvingly, "We are on the road since this afternoon. The slow phases, which your wife allows, are getting shorter and it´s hard for the animals to recover." If the Queen wouldn´t give a break to her horse, the animal would collapse soon, Peter thought. He was in the service of the Irish king since he was a young boy and he had never seen that one member of the royal family had ridden a horse to death. He didn´t know how the people at Edinburgh Castle treated their horses and he didn´t want to impute this to his queen.<br>"I know," Connor admitted, spurred his horse to gallop and stopped it beside his wife and her sister. Sue and Lindsay had a lead of almost a hundred meters.  
>"We should take a break," Connor said to his wife and it didn´t sound like a suggestion, "The horses are tired and so are we."<br>"I don´t feel tired," Lindsay disagreed without looking at him and rode on. He was fed up and he brought his horse again beside her and grabbed her wrist.  
>"If your father lies dead in his grave, he then won´t run away from us in the truest sense of the word!", Connor complained, "If the grave is empty, I'm very sorry but if we don´t take a break, perhaps we never arrive in Edinburgh!"<br>Now Lindsay stopped her horse. "Where do you want to rest?", she asked, her eyes sparkled with anger, "There's not a guest house."  
>"I hope it´s okay for a British girl to spend the night under the open sky."<br>"British?", she was shocked, "I´m Scottish!"  
>Meanwhile Connor dismounted and then took the saddle from the back of his horse. He couldn´t tell if the horse breathed out because of relief, but also Jack and Peter were glad to take a break finally. Sue didn´t understand why they took the saddles from their horses and prepared a camp for the night. "They want to take a break and continue traveling tomorrow," Lindsay told to her sister and Sue also had to admit she wasn´t pleased.<br>Lindsay didn´t talk to Connor when she sat beside him on fire and stared silently into the flames. Peter only took five minutes to shoot a rabbit with a bow and arrow. They roasted the rabbit on the fire and then they ate.  
>Lindsay was still angry about the way Connor had talked to her. Even if he was the king, he couldn´t understand her concern for her father. But she thought the worst thing was he didn´t even apologized to her. She fell asleep next to the campfire without having talked to him.<p>

They arrived at Edinburgh Castle next evening, leaving the exhausted horses with the stable boy. Sue and Lindsay didn´t want to wait a second longer to see their father's grave. They therefore didn´t really remark how Connor, Jack and Peter followed them. Finally, the two arrived in the garden of the castle. A gravel path led them to a secluded place, where the graves of William I, his wife Jane and the freshly laid grave of her son, William II and also Anna Maria were located in the shade of an oak tree. There was a wide open hole in the grave of King William II.  
>"Oh no," Lindsay whispered and her legs gave in. She sank down on her knees on the rough gravel and Sue was immediately at her sister´s side. "Sir Anton was right."<p>

In the night Lindsay was still angry at Connor because of the time which they had to spend resting on a field last night. "If we had avoided that rest, maybe we could have stopped him!", Lindsay grumbled while she walked through her and Connors room only dressed in her nightgown. But how should they have stopped the king? No one noticed when he rose from his grave. Perhaps King William II wasn´t dead… But when he was alive, where he was then? Was he among the Riders of Ayr?  
>Connor didn´t reply to her tantrums, because he knew he was right. That was annoying for Lindsay. "Will you at least look for my father?", she then asked.<br>"Why?" he replied angrily, "Now that's obvious, your father is one of the Riders of Ayr, he will find us: In all probability he is now on his way to Ireland, because he will know the Jewel is there." His voice grew louder and Lindsay noticed how worried he was. He feared the Riders of Ayr would now lure Scotland and Ireland to destruction.  
>"But... But we don´t even know if my father knows the jewel is in Ireland," she tried to calm him. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. Now she understood how concerned he was, too.<br>"You always find a way to disagree, huh?", he asked.  
>"Why can´t I shake the feeling you already got an idea, what do we´ll do?"<br>He was silent for a moment. "I know you won´t like it," he began, "But we have to return to Ireland as quickly as possible."

The stable boy gave them five other horses and next morning they started on their way to Ireland. Connor promised his wife they would return to Edinburgh Castle as fast as possible. They were en route till evening, when they reached a dark forest. "I got a strange feeling," Sue suddenly said to Jack, "It's almost as if we´re being watched."  
>Jack looked around but he didn´t notice something unusual. Then he realized, Peter was restless as well. "Is everything all right?", Jack wanted to know from Peter and let his horse walk slower.<br>"We are watched. Since twenty miles", Peter muttered.  
>"I told you!," Sue exclaimed triumphantly.<br>"Better be quiet, milady," Peter warned her, "I don´t want our persecutors to recognize that we know about them. I will separate myself from the group now, hide and find out who´s watching us." With these words, Peter´s horse walked forward and disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Sue and Jack wondered if Connor and Lindsay knew about their pursuers and when they asked the two quietly, Connor replied he already knew.  
>"We´ll reach a ferry which takes us across a river," Connor said and indeed they came to the end of a wooden bridge. "The ferry comes every hour," Connor told them, but their waiting time seemed to have just vanished into thin air when he saw who was lurking in the darkness of the forest.<br>"The Riders of Ayr," Sue gasped horrified and her sister, too, saw the dark-clad men.  
>"There´s one more rider," Lindsay whispered, "It´s father."<br>"What do you want from us?", Connor said and the dark figures muttered something that sounded like "Golden Gem".  
>"As you can see, we don´t have the Golden Jewel with us."<br>"But you know, where it is," one of the riders yelled and Lindsay immediately recognized the voice, "Anna Maria knew where it is and also the Princesses know." It wasn´t quite the voice of her father but a part of it was still there. Lindsay was shocked when the rider set a huge, black horse in motion and rushed in her direction.  
>Connor and Jack immediately drew their swords and they wondered where Peter was.<br>"Don´t worry," Jack said to Sue, "I won´t allow something happens to you."  
>The riders flew further in their direction and Jack and Connor fought bitterly against them. They had already killed two riders. Another rider slammed his elbow so hard into Connor´s face that he lost his balance and fell off his horse. "Connor!", Lindsay spurred her horse to get between the rider and her husband when the black figure raised its sword.<br>A lightning flashed in the sky for a second and Lindsay identified her father's face under the cowl of the rider. "No," she said. She couldn´t believe her father was ready to kill her husband.  
>"Leave!", the Rider shrieked instead and beat her with his arm so much that she fell into the raging river. Sue noticed and let her horse jump after her, so she could save her sister, who drove motionless on the water surface.<br>Connor took the moment of carelessness of the rider and drove the blade of his sword into his chest. The black figure cried out and it and its horse dissolved into dust.  
>"Are you okay?", Jack wanted to know from his brother and Connor rubbed his chin. His jaw ached. Connor wanted to get up and when he did he noticed a large, black figure which looked at him and Jack insistently.<br>"This is probably King William II," Jack whispered. Even from this distance he could see the crest of the Scottish royal family, which was incorporated in the pommel.  
>Connor feared William II would be their most difficult opponent. "It ends tonight," he said and picked up his sword, when the dark figure rushed to him and his brother. Jack and Connor were grateful they had enjoyed years of sword-fighting lessons. But beating this rider was almost impossible, while the three remaining Riders of Ayr were standing around impassively, watching the fight.<br>Jack cut three fingers from the heavy shape, but that didn´t impress him. A cold gust of wind swept over them and blew down the long coat of the figure. "His heart!," Connor exclaimed, took out his sword and flung straight into the exposed heart of the rider. He screamed in pain, grabbed the blade into his chest and when Connor thought he´d pull out the blade, the former king broke and he, his horse and his entourage dissolved into dust.  
>"Are you fine?", Jack asked breathlessly.<br>"Yes," Connor nodded and looked around. The bridge looked as if never a struggle took place there. Only three horses ran loose...  
>"Where is Lindsay?", Connor asked suddenly.<br>"We're here!", Sue yelled, who had seen his question. The horse struggled to get out of the river, when it stood on dry land, Sue put Lindsay on solid ground. The storm in the sky had thankfully moved on. "She's not breathing!"  
>"Lindsay," Connor exclaimed, but she didn´t wake up. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. Her eyes still didn´t open. Connor opened her mouth and blew as much oxygen as possible into her lungs. Her chest rose and fell, but her breathing wasn´t enough. "You can´t die," he muttered and then wondered if he should try a chest compression, like the royal physician had taught him long time ago. He hoped his wife would forgive him for the broken ribs, God willing she´d wake up again. The despair almost strangled his throat and he tried to hide to Sue he felt like crying, too. Finally he found the bones of the sternum and pressed her chest down as hard as he could. The terrible sound of breaking bones almost stopped his own heart. Then he took care of her respiration, but the longer she lay motionless in front of him, the more frustrating it became. Sue was gasping for air. Two minutes turned into hours but Connor wasn´t willing to give up. "Connor," he only vaguely noticed when his brother calmly said his name.<br>"I can´t let her go," Connor said to himself, tears stinging his eyes and again he pushed the jaws of his unconscious wife apart to ventilate her. At that moment she began to cough and spit water. She grabbed his hands. "What... What happened?", She asked as she stopped coughing. Then she noticed a sharp pain in her chest.  
>"I thought I´d lose you forever...", Connor replied.<br>"You won´t get rid of me so fast," she tried to cheer him up, but the more she talked, the more painful her chest felt.  
>"Don´t do that again to me, you hear?", he asked and she nodded silently. Before he helped her up, he kissed her and noticed how tired she was. Then he put his arm around her back and one hand under her knees, lifted her up and took her to the horse.<br>"Milord, what...?", Peter, who reached the scene of action until now, was still out of breath.  
>"The Queen is seriously injured," Connor explained, who was still carrying his wife in his arms, "We have to return to Edinburgh as fast as possible." Connor gave his wife to Jack for a moment so he could get on his horse. Then Jack lifted Lindsay at the horse´s back in front of Connor.<br>"I'm tired," she murmured, after the horse had set in motion long ago. "I know," Connor whispered just as quietly and kissed her forehead reassuringly, "Hold on, my love."

Two years later...  
>"Do you miss her very much?", Jack wanted to know from his wife when they stood together with Connor and Andrew, the former king of Ireland, in front of a monument in the garden of Callenburgh Castle. The monument was a block of marble, the emblem of the Scottish royal family and some names were engraved.<br>Sue nodded hesitantly. "Yes, sometimes I miss her very much. My heart is almost broken when I think about she´s buried in Scotland, far away from me. I can´t believe she's been dead since two years..."  
>"Prince Philipp of Ireland and Scotland! Stop right there!", an angry voice suddenly exclaimed and Connor turned around. He watched as his wife who caught a little dark-haired boy. The little laughing boy fled into the arms of his aunt.<br>"Your Royal Highness, may I take you on the arm?", Sue asked and laughed, too. Prince Philipp and his twin sister Princess Anna Helena grew day by day. Both were almost as sweet as Prince Owen, the son of Princess Susan and Prince Jacob of Ireland.  
>"I'm sorry," Lindsay apologized to her sister, "I couldn´t hold my son back. Sometimes, he´s very stubborn."<br>"Just like you," Sue handed Philipp to his mother and with her son on the arm Lindsay went to Connor.  
>"Sorry about the delay," she said and with Philipp she remained standing next to Connor in front of the monument for her mother. Today was the second anniversary of Anna Maria´s and William´s II death and a strange feeling still crept over Lindsay when she thought about it, or if she thought about how it was when she fractured her ribs and she had to stay in bed at Edinburgh Castle for one month. Of course, the funeral of Anna Maria and William II at Edinburgh Castle has been difficult, but the people accepted Connor as new king when peace had returned in the country.<br>Jack and Sue were intact after the fight against the Riders of Ayr and they could return sooner to Ireland. Connor, however, stayed with Lindsay the whole time, even though she knew he had to carry out his duty at home in Ireland. Instead, he stayed with her and traveled together with her to Callenburgh Castle, when she felt better. She recovered completely from the broken rib and the doctor certified her good health. Lindsay was overjoyed when she reported to her husband shortly after their return to Ireland she was expecting a child. Prince Philipp and Princess Anna Helena meant everything to her and Connor. Connor loved his wife with all of his heart, but sometimes Lindsay missed her mother very much.  
>"Is everything all right?", Connor wanted to know when he noticed the depressed expression on his wife´s face and she nodded. "Yes, I'm fine," she reassured him and wiped away a tear from her eyes at the same time, "In those days I just miss my mother and my father a little more." She watched the memorial, in which the names of her and Sue´s parents were engraved. Above the name a gold coin flashed, which was once known as the Golden Jewel of Scotland.<br>"You know, I'm always there for you," Connor said, reaching affectionately for her hand, "I would do everything to protect you, Scotland and our children."  
>"I know. And I thank you..."<p>

Fin


End file.
